Wilbrod bourdon



No Model.)

W. BOURBON.

FIRE ESCAPE.

Patented Jan. 14, 1896.

3 1' in ass es:

M. PNOTO-LITHQWASHINGTDNJC.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILBROD BOURDON, OF VALLEYFIELD, CANADA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,183, dated January14, 1896.

Application filed July 2, 1895. $eria1 No. 554,681. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILBROD BOURDON, a citizen of Canada, residing atValleyfield, in the county of Beauharnois and Province of Quebec,Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFire-Escapes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to that class of fireescapes that is adapted to befixed. on the wall of a building near a vertical row of windows, so asto be within reach of the occupants of each flat; and it consists of anendless chain passing over grooved pulleys at the ground and at the topof the building, and means for regulating the speed of the chain whenany person or persons are descending.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front view of my device secured to abuilding. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail view ofthe governor 011 a larger scale. Fig. -1L shows a modification of thedevice.

A and B are two chain-pulleys. The upper one, A, has its axle a,journaled in a frame C secured to the wall of the building preferablyabove the top window, and the lower one, B, is journaled on astud 12secured in the wall of the building near the ground, and an endlesschain D travels over these pulleys, which are so located that one sidethe chain passes in front or close to the side of a vertical row ofwindows.

The operation of the device as far as described is: A person desiring toescape from any of the windows grasps the chain and by gravitation comesto the ground. Belts and hooks may be used, the hooks hooked into thelinks of the chain.

In order to regulate the speed of thedescent I use the following device:On the axle a of the upper pulley, A, is secured a large gear-wheel E.This gear-wheel meshes with a pinion F and an axle f journaled in theframe 0. This axle f passes through the front of the said frame and hasa bevel gear-wheel G secured on its outer end, which gears into anothergear-wheel H on a vertical shaft 72, j ou1- naled in a bracket I securedto the frame 0. 'lothe upper end of the vertical shaft it two arms J arepivoted on opposite sides of the said shaft,carrying weights or balls Kat their free ends. Segmental guides L are secured to the shaft it nearits lower end and pass through perforations j in the arms J, terminatingin stops 2'. A folding fan M, consisting of several wings on, isoperated by each of the arms J. There may be three or more wings on ineach of these fans, the lower one being secured to the shaft h, theupper one secured by one end to the arm J and at the top pivoted on thepin pivoting the said arm J to the vertical shaft. The intermediate wingor wings are all pivoted at the same place. All the said wings havehooks n at their lower corners adapted to engage each other when the fanis expanded, and to be disengaged when the fan is closed. These fansconstitute a governor or regulator to the speed of the chain.

When one person is descending on the chain the fans are partiallyexpanded, but if several persons are descending at the same time theballs on the arms assume a nearly horizontal position,'which expands thewings to the full extent and thereby checks the rapidity of the descent.

, In Fig. 4. two chain-pulleys A are shown secured on the axle a andplaced a little distance apart. Over these pulleys pass the two endlesschains D which are connected by the rods cl. In this figure only the toppart of the chain is shown. Of course it will be understood that therewill be two pulleys B on the stub 12 when this arrangement is used. Theobject of these rods is to provide a foot and hand hold for a personescaping from the building.

I claim as my invention-- 1. In a fire escape the combination with thepulley A, the axle a suitably journaled,

of the gear wheel E secured on the said axle, the pinion F gearing withthe said gear wheel, a bevel gear wheel G secured on the axle of thesaid pinion, the bevel gear wheel I-I operated by the said wheel G, thevertical shaft said arms having secured thereto folding fan like Wings,substantially as set forth. c

Signed at Valleyfield this 15th day Of May,

WILBROD BOURDON.

In presence of R. S. J ORON, O. LABERGE.

